Thoughts on sufferingOne of the prime concerns in Christian apologetics concerns suffering. In brief, if God is omnipotent, it would seem that he could eliminate suffering. Then, if compassionate, he would do so. Failing in this regard, it is argued that he lacks in one or both regards. Or simply does not exist. An over-simplification no doubt, but one that troubles many. In any case, inviting us to consider this matter at greater length. (1) Suffering is a fact o...

A letter from momMy father, mother and siblings all threw newspapers for various publications such as the Houston Post, Dallas Morning News and the Houston Chronicle. My exposure to the world of newspapers began in 1969, when my family moved to Longview, Texas. I spent many early mornings as a youth with family members who worked in the newspaper business. Everyone in my family threw newspapers for part-time income, at one time or another. My mom was excited t...

An evening of clean, family funIn a day and time when most movies, video games and television programs are filled with violence, crude language and other less-than-family-friendly content, I want to tell you about an exciting event we had in our community last February. While you may not live here, any organization can host an event like the one I want to share with you. The event was our second annual Conway Noon Lions Club fundraiser at the new Hendrix College gym. This w...

Thatcher’s death marks the end of an eraWhen Margaret Thatcher was elected England’s first female prime minister of England in the spring of 1979, I was 12 years old and my father had been a congressman for less than four months. To me, it seemed as if it would be only a short while until my own country followed suit and elected a woman to serve as president. Of course, in my mind, it would be a conservative woman, strong willed, committed, determined and articulate. Like Thatcher. ...

Busy few weeks at the CapitolThis week we received news that former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Lady Margaret Thatcher has died. A towering figure of the Cold War, she stood strong alongside President Ronald Reagan against the Soviet Union and earned the nickname “Iron Lady.” She was one of those leaders whose steel and charisma endear their legacy to people’s memories for generations. A true historical figure, she stood firm on her conservative principles at hom...

NRA school violence study fails to provide practical solutionsThe National Rifle Association rolled out its hired gun, former Arkansas Congressman Asa Hutchinson, last week to present a $1 million study done in the wake of the December grade school massacre at Newtown, Conn. To no one’s surprise, the study said we need to have more guns in schools to prevent similar tragedies. The best recommendation in the study says that schools should use more school resource officers — sworn police officers — to impr...

Crawford seeks state’s help to fight ObamacareCongressman Rick Crawford has been clear on one thing since he began running for office in 2010 – he opposes health care reform touted by President Obama. However, after three years in office, he and his colleagues have been unable to stop Obamacare from moving forward and is now asking Arkansas legislators for help. Crawford’s inability to halt the program is not for lack of tryng. The congressman and his fellow Republicans, along with a hand...

Roger and MeRoger Ebert had been the editor of the Daily Illini and had graduated a few years before I got to campus. But he still got the DI, as we called it, by mail every day in Chicago. Even though I didn’t really know him, Ebert began clipping out my columns from the paper and putting them on the desk of the editor at the Chicago Sun-Times, Jim Hoge. When I was a senior, I got a call from Hoge asking me to come to Chicago, where he offered me a job. ...

Should we be the educators?Steve Anderson, superintendent of the Lake Hamilton School District, slid what looked like a business card across the table. It’s actually a commissioned security officer license. He also carries a badge and, on five occasions during the last 12 years, a gun on campus. The Lake Hamilton school campuses are far enough from local law enforcement that a madman could kill a lot of people before help could arrive. So, as part of a response plan cre...

Thinking of hope and friendshipScatter shooting while wondering whatever happened to Tommy Robinson. • • • It was a bad week for our hometown. Whenever we lose a young man like Wade Walters, there is a sadness that hangs heavy over the city. As you know, Wade was killed on Easter Sunday in the industrial accident at Arkansas Nuclear One. Eight others were injured, but all have now been released from the hospital after receiving treatment. On Saturday, I sat on Mount Nebo lo...

Lesson learned!What a glorious Resurrection Sunday it was! Or at least I hope you are still basking in the glory that Easter brings. I must admit though, getting to Easter this year was a bit of a challenge for me. The 40 days leading to Easter, known as Lent, are days that the believer tends to fill with opportunities to either “give-up” something; like sweets, caffeine, television, Facebook, etc… Or perhaps one tries to take on something; reading scripture...

The bailout that really hurtsDr. Charlotte Rainey Green is an educator who lives in our community and works for our local school system. She is a friend of mine and is a clear voice for common sense and reason when it comes to presenting an important issue that is impacting all of our society, not only here but across the United States of America. She chronicles this issue in her new book titled “Parent Bailout: The Bailout That is Really Crippling America.” Unlike bailou...

Reporters who banned ‘Illegal Immigrant’File this in the overflowing cabinet labeled: No Wonder the Mainstream Media Is Dying. On Tuesday, the Associated Press announced that it is banishing the phrase “illegal immigrant” from its famous stylebook. The world’s largest newsgathering outlet now advises reporters that “illegal” will “only refer to an action, not a person.” AP directs writers not to use the terms “illegal alien, an illegal, illegals or undocumented” anymore, except “in ...

Wall Street hogs still running wildWall Street is a beast. And proud of it! In fact, a pair of animals are the stock market’s longtime symbols: One is a snorting bull, representing surging stock prices; the other is a bear, representing a down market devouring stock value. But I recently received a letter from a creative fellow named Charles saying that we need a third animal to depict the true nature of the Wall Street beast: a hog. Not just a little piggy, writes Charles — bu...

Two very different questions: same-sex marriage and abortionIn spite of the nearly unprecedented velocity of change in American attitudes on the legality and acceptance of same-sex marriage, according to the Gallup Poll — from 68 percent-27 percent opposition during the Bill Clinton years to 53 percent-46 support after Barack Obama’s re-election (a swing of 48 percent of the population in favor of same-sex marriage in just 16 years) — American voters have not undergone a mass conversion to liberalism o...

Welcome to San Francisco, DMV licenses optionalIn 2009, then-Mayor Gavin Newsom announced a city policy that directed police not to impound the cars of unlicensed drivers if those drivers could find a licensed friend to drive away their car. The idea, then-police chief (now District Attorney) George Gascon told me at the time, was to help those who could not get a valid California driver’s license because of their immigration status, as well as legal residents who could not afford to get a...

Column: Other issues in focus as war, economy fade WASHINGTON (AP) — After a dozen years of war and a half-dozen of economic troubles, the United States is beginning to wrestle with a question even more existential than those big events: What does it mean to be an American? Immigration reform and gay marriage. Affirmative action and voting rights. Gun control and, more broadly, the role of government in our lives. Today, the Supreme Court, Congress, the White House and the public all are confr...

Did the budget really balance? NoThe week before last, members of the U.S. House of Representatives voted for a plan by U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan that they say would balance the budget in 10 years. Well, yes and no. Mostly no. It’s “yes” in that it balances the budget thanks to a lot of scenarios and assumptions. It relies on Obamacare being repealed, which is not likely considering President Obama won the election and Democrats control the Senate. It also presumes to know how much...

Mistrial in murder case — why I trust juriesI tend to trust juries. I trust those 12 citizens who come to render a judgment, even when I don’t understand or agree with the verdict. I trust juries more than I trust the lawyers, the judge and even the judicial system. Thursday night, a jury in Pope County convicted James Gould of aggravated robbery, and sentenced him to a term of 55 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction. This same jury couldn’t reach a verdict in Gould’s’ murder ...

Do we need a roundabout to lower traffic speeds?I read with interest Michael Oakes’ article in last Thursday’s Courier edition. His statistics affirm what has always been evident in the medical field: The fate of a victim in an automobile accident, whether pedestrian, cyclist, or passenger, is directly proportional to the speed of the vehicle. I have witnessed firsthand the valiant efforts and teamwork put forth in the emergency room to reverse the trauma inflicted in such accidents. Speed ...